Oil drum cap lock



Aug. 9, 1196 W. H, BQWER on; mam CAP LOCK Filed Oct 9, 1964 v I NVENTOR JZLMMHBOWER iff ak/YEX United States Patent 3,264,350 GIL DRUM (ZAP LUCK William H. Bower, 127 Reed Blvd, Mill Valley, Calif. Filed 0st. 9, I964, Ser. No. 462,756 2 Claiins. ((11. 70-165) My present invention relates to locks and more particularly to a device for locking the closure cap of oil and gasoline drums such as are employed for the bulk delivery of oil and gasoline to areas remote from underground storage means.

An object of my invention is to provide an attachment by which a closure cap on an oil drum may be locked to prevent theft or unauthorized removal of the contents of the drum.

The major portion of the oil and gasoline drums of the type contemplated by my invention have a dispensing outlet at one end that is closed by a screw cap which is recessed into the head or end of the drum and sealed with a rubber or like gasket when the cap is fully seated. These recessed caps have an outwardly extending flange under which a sealing gasket is placed and to facilitate turning of the cap this outwardly extending flange is provided with a modified hexagonal perimeter so that spaced portions thereof will project outwardly beyond the limits of the gasket. It is therefore a particular object of my invention to provide a means which will completely enclose the cap and at the same time be free to rotate relative thereto in such manner that when a lock is applied removal of the drum closure cap will be impossible.

Other objects and advantages will be in part evident to those skilled in the art and in part pointed out hereinafter in the accompanying description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein there is shown by way of illustration and not of limitation a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view taken at the end of a drum showing the closure cap with my locking device applied thereto and as in its open condition, and

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken centrally of the cap as shown in FIGURE 1, showing the locking device in its closed and locked condition.

For a more detailed description of my invention reference is now made to the accompanying drawing, wherein the numeral designates the head or end of a conventional oil or gasoline dispensing drum of the type used for transporting these commodities in bulk to remote areas where the use of such drums is dictated by the transportation means available. As is more particularly shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing the head 10 of the drum is crimped over a screw threaded ring 11 in such manner that there is provided an annular seat forming portion 12 upon which a sealing gasket 13 is positioned. As a closure for the opening so formed at head or end of the drum there is a threaded closure cap 14- having a recessed button like portion 15 by which the cap 14 may be manually screwed into the ring 11. At its outer end the cap 14 has an outwardly extending gasket engaging flange 16 which, as indicated in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, has an outer configuration with surfaces 17 that define a substantially hexagonal outline at the outer perimeter of the cap 14 for a wrench or the like. When the screw cap 14 is tightened into the ring 11 the flange 16 thereof will contact and compress the gasket 13 and thus effectively seal the drum against the escape or withdrawal of the contents through the opening thus provided.

The above described screw cap arrangement is of the .so-called Visi-Grip type which has been accepted by the trade and used generally on the majority of oil drums. While the cap 14 mounted and threaded into the ring 11 with the gasket 13 in the manner shown, is the long ice accepted arrangement for providing a seal enclosure of drum and gasoline drums it does not provide against theft or unauthorized withdrawal of oil or gasoline from the drum as might occur in remote areas. Therefore, to prevent an unauthorized removal of the closure cap 14 my improved lock means consists of a screw cap enclosure means that requires no attachment to the drum head. As shown in the drawing the enclosure means is held in its operative position solely by the screw cap and is in the form of a cover that will be maintained in a captive position by the cap and will therefore require no modification or change in the head of the oil drums as now generally used by the trade.

As shown in detail in FIGURE 2 of the drawing the enclosure means contemplated by my invention consists of a ring like member 18 that has an inwardly extending flange 19 at its lower side which is of a thickness and dimension that will permit a turning thereof when applied to the cap 14 when applied to a drum. The ring portion 18 as here shownhas a hinge plate 20 upon which a cover 21 is pivotally secured by a clevis 22 at one side thereof by means of a pin 23. The cover 21 also has a sec-0nd clevis 24 that is adapted to straddle a lock plate 25 that is carried by the ring 18 at a point diametrically opposite the hinge plate 20. The hinge plate 25 has a lock hasp accommodating hole that will register with lock hasp accommodating hole 26 formed in the clevis 24. When a lock 26 with its hasp 27 is applied in the manner shown the cover 21 will completely conceal the screw cap 14 and since the ring 18 has no fixed attachment to the cap 14 it will be free to turn about the cap without imparting any cap removing force thereto.

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose the invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated a specific device and arrangement, I desire to have it understood that this invention is not limited to the specific means disclosed, but may be embodied in other ways that will suggest themselves to perons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is new and all such changes as come within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a lock accommodating means for preventing the theft and/ or unauthorized removal of contents of a conventional oil or gasoline drum, the combination of a screw cap with sealing gasket and an outwardly extending gasket compressing flange, a ring like member having an inwardly extending flange at its lower side adapted and arranged to extend under the gasket compressing flange of said screw cap, said ring having a hinge forming plate extending at one side and oppositely disposed means having a padlock accommodating opening, and a cover mounted upon the hinge forming plate of said ring having a configuration conforming with the outer circum ference of said ring and a depending clevis like extension with openings for register with the padlock accommodating opening of said oppositely disposed means, characterized by the fact that when applied to the closure cap said ring and hinged cover will be free to rotate independently of the cap.

2. In a lock accommodating means for preventing the theft and/or unauthorized removal of contents of a conventional oil or gasoline drum, the combination of an oil drum having a recessed screw cap with sealing gasket disposed under an outwardly extending gasket compressing flange, a ring like member having an inwardly extending flange at its lower side adapted and arranged to extend freely under the gasket compressing flange of said screw cap, said ring having hinge forming plate extend- 3 4 ing at one side and an oppositely disposed padlock References Cited by the Examiner accommodating means x vith opening for the hasp ot a UNITED STATES PATENTS padlock, and a cover hmgedly mounted upon said ring having a configuration conforming with the outer circum- 1,514,507 11/1924 Drelchllngerference of said ring and a depending clevis like extension 5 1,902,456 3/1933 Matthew? 70161 X with openings for register with the padlock accommo- 1,944,535 1/1934 White 70-464 X dating opening of said means, characterized by the fact i that when applied to the closure cap of a drum said ring PATRICK CLIFFORD Pr'mary Exammer' and hinged cover will be free to rotate independently of B R, GAY, Assistant Examiner, the closure cap. 10 

1. IN A LOCK ACCOMMODATING MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE THEFT AND/OR UNAUTHORIZED REMOVAL OF CONTENTS OF A CONVENTIONAL OIL OR GASOLINE DRUM, THE COMBINATION OF A SCREW CAP WITH SEALING GASKET AND AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING GASKET COMPRESSING FLANGE, A RING LIKE MEMBER HAVING AN INWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE AT ITS LOWER SIDE ADAPTED AND ARRANGED TO EXTEND UNDER THE GASKET COMPRESSING FLANGE OF SAID SCREW CAP, SAID RING HAVING A HINGE FORMING PLATE EXTENDING AT ONE SIDE AND OPPOSITELY DISPOSED MEANS HAVING A PADLOCK ACCOMMODATING OPENING, AND A COVER MOUNTED UPON THE HINGE FORMING PLATE OF SAID RING HAVING A CONFIGURATION CONFORMING WITH THE OUTER CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID RING AND A DEPENDING CLEVIS LIKE EXTENSION WITH OPENINGS FOR REGISTER WITH THE PADLOCK ACCOMMODATING OPENING OF SAID OPPOSITELY DISPOSED MEANS, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT WHEN APPLIED TO THE CLOSURE CAP SAID RING AND HINGED COVER WILL BE FREE TO ROTATE INDEPENDENTLY OF THE CAP. 